Machines are known, used for washing containers for liquids, for example but not only, bottles, feeding bottles and drinking bottles or other, used for feeding animals such as, for example, laboratory guinea pigs or rodents or others.
It is known that, before washing, the containers are closed by means of suitable lids or capsules, which lids are shaped with a spout to allow the animal to drink the liquid contained in the container, and that they must be provided, at the end of washing, again closed and filled with other feed liquid.
It is known to provide machines for washing the containers, which comprise a plurality of operating stations disposed in line with each other, including a station for loading the closed containers, a station for removing the lids from the containers, or de-lidding, a washing station, a filling station and a station for reclosing the washed and filled containers, using said capsules.
In these known machines, except for the washing station where the containers are closed in a washing chamber and are subjected to predetermined automated steps of washing and rinsing, the remaining stations need many manual interventions and attention from the operators, in particular for loading, in order to position the containers in the filling station and to reclose the washed and filled containers with the lids.
In the field of such machines, the international applications WO-A-2010/125168, WO-A-2010/140042, WO-A-2010/140043, WO-A-2011/045256, WO-A-2011/138661 and WO-A-2011/158085 in the name of the present Applicant are known.
In particular, the international application WO-A-2010/140048 in the name of the present Applicant is also known, which describes a machine for treating containers of liquids which provides in general operations for the automatic movement of the containers and the lids.
This known machine comprises, in line in a first washing direction, a loading station for the containers to be subjected to the treatment, a de-lidding station in which the lids are removed from each of the containers, a washing station to subject to washing the de-lidded containers, and a closing station in which the washed containers are reclosed with the corresponding lids.
This known machine comprises a treatment device, able to effect the treatment of dirty lids, which is integrated with the machine for treating containers of liquids and is provided at least with a treatment station for the lids disposed in a second washing direction, operatively parallel to the first washing direction.
Other known washing machines are described in US-A-2003/165400, DE-A-4116333, U.S. Pat. No. 1,958,846, EP-A-0.824.974, EP-A-0.673.041 and FR-A-1.039.114.
Moreover, EP-A-0.017.287 describes a machine for treating closing lids that includes a support with bars connected at the ends by coupling plates, and distanced so that the lids are held between them and that a washing liquid can reach every side of them.
One purpose of the present invention is to obtain a machine, and perfect a method, which allows to remove the lids or capsules, to wash, fill and reclose the containers simply, economically and efficiently, in a substantially automated manner and reducing manual interventions by operators to a minimum.
Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain a machine, and perfect a method, which allows to subject the lids to treatment, in particular but not only, washing, without needing any manual transport steps from one station to another, in a reliable, repeatable and effective manner.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.